1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming machine and a gaming system accumulating betted game media and a method for controlling the gaming machine.
2. Discussion of the Background
Among conventional gaming apparatuses such as slot machines, there have existed gaming apparatuses that conduct a payout called a jackpot. Upon winning of a jackpot, a player can acquire a large amount of game media at one time.
There has existed among those jackpots a jackpot called a progressive jackpot in which part of game media inserted by the player is cumulatively accumulated as a cumulative value, as disclosed for example in WO 99/03078-A1.
Those conventional gaming apparatuses conduct a payout of the jackpot, when, for example, the cumulative value of the jackpot has reached the predetermined value; however, since contents of the game do not change according to the cumulative value of the jackpot, the gaming apparatuses have lacked interesting aspects for the player.
Further, in such a conventional gaming machine, a cumulative value of the jackpot is cleared when a payout of the jackpot is once conducted, regardless of the amount of the payout, and the accumulation is made from zero again. Accordingly, the payout of the big jackpot is hardly generated, and therefore, the conventional gaming machine has an unattractive aspect for the player.
The contents of WO 99/03078-A1 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.